WESTFIELD, Ind. - Day 8 of Colts training camp came with no breathing room.
The team packed six practice periods into an hour-long Saturday morning session, and the focus was squarely on red zone work and two-minute drills. That meant every rep carried extra weight, every window looked smaller and every mistake showed up fast.
Daniel Jones opened by trying to use play action to fool the defense with a throw toward the goal line, but free safety Camryn Bynum got there in time to knock it away. From there, the defense kept tightening the screws.
The most competitive stretch came at the end, when Jones led a two-minute drill the full length of the field. He started it by hitting tight end Tyler Warren on an out route for eight yards.
On the next play, Laiatu Latu looked like he should have had his third sack of the hour, but the referees let it continue and Jones found Nick Westbrook-Ikhene in the flat to keep the drive alive. Latu again had a chance to finish Jones inside the red zone with 18 seconds left on the play clock, but he instead forced a hurried throw that Sauce Gardner broke up.
With 10 seconds left, the defense dropped eight near the goal line, so Jones settled for a dump-off to Jonathan Taylor underneath and put Blake Grupe in position for a 30-yard chip shot.
Gardner has made it clear he wants more of those moments. After Thursday’s practice, he signed his shoes for an Army veteran and said he sometimes wishes quarterbacks would challenge him more often so he can make those kinds of plays.
His numbers back up why opposing offenses have been cautious. Last season, Gardner allowed just 22 completions on 45 targets (49%), the tenth-lowest completion rate among qualified cornerbacks.
Even with Gardner playing in a career-low 11 games between the New York Jets and the Colts in 2025, those 45 targets amount to about four throws a game.
“I don’t even give myself no excuses no more,” Gardner said. “I just be like, ‘Man, if I get two targets, I need two picks.’”
That mindset fits the corner who built his reputation with a Defensive Rookie of the Year season in 2022 and back-to-back First-Team All-Pro honors to begin his NFL career. He has only one interception in his last 50 NFL games, but he also knows offenses are constantly building their plans around where he lines up.
“I don’t know who ran it, but we had watched the game where we played the Falcons. Drake London basically ran like a little out route and I had looked back, perfect position, the ball didn’t get thrown.
There was somebody else in the meeting, who had ran and the ball got thrown and they made a play. I’m like, ‘Dang, I just wish I could have got the ball thrown to me on that specific play.’”
Latu was a major reason the offense kept getting rushed. The second-year edge rusher kept beating right tackle Jalen Travis off the line and forced Jones into quick decisions throughout the day. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s mix of coverages only made the reads tougher, especially with receivers Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Laquon Treadwell sidelined, which let the secondary stay tight in the red zone and take away easy throws.
Latu’s pressure showed up over and over. He appeared to get to Jones for a sack on the final play of the first team period and then came back with another in the final two-minute drill. If Jones had not been wearing a red jersey, Latu could have had four sacks in four team periods.
Jones did find some success when the offense had more space to work with in red zone 7-on-7. He completed consecutive throws to Ashton Dulin, including a 10-yard touchdown on an out route against Cam Taylor-Britt. Jones and Dulin connected again later in 11-on-11, when Jones slipped away from what looked like instant pressure from Latu and hit Dulin on a corner route near the goal line.
On the backup side, Riley Leonard kept getting opportunities and, for much of the day, looked like the quarterback who was seeing the most action in the battle with Anthony Richardson. Leonard’s first team period began with a strong sideline throw to Coleman Owen, who had separation from Jaylon Carlies. Later, Leonard dropped a pass over Rob Carter Jr. and into Will Mallory’s hands for a 10-yard gain that set up goal-to-go.
Richardson’s work was limited. Carter jumped a curl route near the pylon to intercept Richardson on his first throw with the second-team offense, and Richardson got only two plays in the opening red zone team period with the third unit.
Leonard also handled the final two-minute drill, the only one run by the second team. He completed three throws outside the numbers to Eli Pancol, Will Mallory and Coleman Owen to move the offense into opposing territory, but the drive stalled there. Grupe finished the workout by drilling a 55-yarder.
The margin for error is shrinking fast at Grand Park. The Colts have five more training camp practices there, including another morning session Sunday at 10 a.m., and only five days remain before the preseason opens in Foxborough against the rival New England Patriots.
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